Social Developments: Divorce and Censorship Flashcards
What happened with the 1951 Divorce PMB?
It gained an easy majority but was not passed to avoid controversy.
How many requests did divorces fall by from 1945-1960?
Fell by 60,000 requests
What did the government persuade Eirene White to do instead?
Create a Commission for Marriage and Divorce
What was a limitation of the Commissioners in the Divorce Commission?
They wanted to abolish divorce completely
What was the office in the government which could censor any media?
Lord Chamberlain’s Office
What Act was passed to allow the publication of more sexually explicit books? What year was it passed?
Obscene Publications Act, 1959
What did the 1959 Obscene Publications Act allow?
It allowed mild defence of book publications
What is an example of a book which was published after this act was passed?
Lady Chatterleys Lover
What legal action did Lady Chatterleys Lover experience?
It was put to trial.
How many writers said Lady Chatterleys Lover was ok to read?
36 writers
What did one Bishop rule about Lady Chatterley’s lover?
It was ok to read
How many sales did Lady Chatterleys lover get in 3 months of publication?
3 million copies
What was a limitation of these liberal reforms?
They were not new and their results were limited
What did the 1958 Life Peerages Act allow?
Allowed female lord peers to serve in the House of Lords
What did Gaitskell think about the reform of the Lords?
He wanted the House of Lords to be abolished
